How is Emerald Crest different from other senior care facilities?  "It is small and home-like with a high staff to resi-dent ratio," replied Gregg.  "The care is individualized, personalized to the indi-vidual.  The building is only one level and it's barrier free.  There are no steps.  There is easy access to the outdoors."
Said Joe, "Yet there is good security, a fire-sprinkler system, magnetic locks, and motion detectors.  I wanted to create a place where I'd be proud to have my parents live.  My parents did live in our Shakopee facility until they passed on.  We do have, from time to time, couples in a single room."
Gregg, whose father in law lived at Emerald Crest in Minnetonka and Burns-ville, explained that part of the design criteria was, "If it's good for our family, it's good for Emerald Crest."
How does a resident come to live at Emerald Crest?  Joe stated that applicants see both an Occupational Therapist and a Registered Nurse who do cognitive and physical assessments.  Despite the indivi-dualized service and private rooms, cost of care at Emerald Crest is comparable to that of other care facilities, with several packages available.

How did they come to choose Vic-toria as a location for Emerald Crest?  Replied Gregg, "Your Victoria Council-member Rick Tieden studied this and did research, trying to bring a senior facility to Victoria.  He called us one day and said, 'Can I see your Shakopee facility?'  He saw it and said, 'This is it.'"
"Rick said that Emerald Crest would fit into the Victoria vision and environ-ment," added Joe.
It is true that since Richard Tieden was elected to the Victoria City Council back in November of 2000, he has main-tained and pursued an interest in bringing a facility to Victoria so that senior citizens would not have to leave the Victoria community as they come to request and require assisted living and loss of memory care.  Most of Richard's earliest council meetings included progress reports related to getting a facility built in Victoria.
"Victoria is also geographically close to where we live," said Gregg.  "It's close to our other facilities.  We can be out here to visit with our residents and our staff and be actively involved.  We are local guys looking after local people.  This is our passion.  This is our life's work."
How did they find the specific parcel on Bavaria Road in Victoria?  They explained they had a land broker and that someone introduced them to Terry and Jerry Hartman, Victoria land owners and developers who sold Emerald Crest the two-acre parcel. 

How did the assisting living-memory care company come to be called Emerald Crest?  Said Gregg, "Emerald is a jewel.  It's something fine." 
"And our first property in Minneton-ka sets up on the crest of a hill," said Joe.
Thank you, Emerald Crest, for cutting a fine jewel for the crown of Victoria.  Thank you for the delicious lunch, especially the big shrimp and the chocolate fountain.  Thank you, Richard Tieden, for finding the mother lode and mining the territory.  Thank you to others - the Hartmans, Victoria City Staff, and other Victoria City Councilmembers - for helping to set the stone.



More pictures!  More people!  More pigment!
Click on Sue's Album and scroll to Emerald Crest.